On my way into work this morning I cut through campus as I do almost every day and noticed a huge number of people about due to a university open day. What was so crazy about this was the attitudes of those arriving in cars and taxis. People were trying to drive as close as possible to the union building and due to the small roads and roadworks at the main junction on the outside of campus were getting hopelessly stuck and then angry with each other, honking horns and screeching out of turnings at stupid speeds when they saw an opening.

I really don’t understand this mentality. On open days signs some distance from campus clearly show the directions to spacious car parks from where the campus is only a short walk away. What is wrong with peoples bodies these days that they can’t walk for a few minutes to get to a destination? As for disabled people they wouldn’t have had any way of getting to the open day on the east side of campus because of how congested the entrances to the disabled parking bays were.

In my humble opinion people need to re-assess their priorities with respect to when they jump in their cars. I walk everywhere and only take a bus or train when I have to. One the occasion a car would be preferable I can usually manage without anyway or if I really need one, get a lift from a friend. There is no reason why a lot more people can’t do the same and make life easier and healthier for yourselves.

If you look at it another way we’re killing our planet with our way of life so the least you can do is give mother nature a chance by leaving your car at home and enjoying the world and the outdoors while we can by walking to where we want to go. We’ve got legs for a reason.

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3 Comments

I too got caught up in the Open Day Madness this morning, I also noticed the insane antics of the drivers around campus. It really annoys me to see people behaving like that.

As a car owner and user myself I regularly find myself on the receiving end of a lot of bad press and it is the attitude of a minority (although i sometimes wonder how small that minority really is) that really fuels that negative fire.

I consider myself a fairly considerate road user. I try to minimise unnecessary car journeys, I am polite and courteous to other road users and I try to ensure that if I am driving anywhere I fill my car up with people.

I wonder whether a London style congestion charge would benefit other cities? Pricing people off the roads seems to be the only viable option these days. Public transport is not up to standard and until they offer a bus service that picks you up from your house and drops you off at your destination at the time, comfort level and convenience that you expect then people will not get out of their cars and onto their legs.

It is a sad state of affairs but the natural conclusion to our convenience focussed existence.

Gareth Said,

Lets be fair, the buses in Leeds probably drive people to suicide more often than their destinations. Having lived in Bodington (and you Kieran must have experienced the pain in the arse that I have read about known as the 28 on occasion) that the public transport system in Leeds is dire and makes people want to drive themselves even more.

I wouldn’t be so sure Gaz but that really doesn’t undermine your point. As you say, the buses to Bodington were not usually the most pleasant experiance. And this was the best bus route in Leeds. The coverage, frequency and company found on said buses (chav free 95’s were a gift) for the rest of Leeds is far worse.